Power-supply systems, especially systems which generate power at frequencies >1 MHz are used, for example, for laser excitation in plasma-coating plants or also for induction applications. In such power-supply systems, several amplifiers are often used, from which the total power of the power-supply system is generated. The power signals generated by the individual amplifiers are often not phase-synchronous. The power signals can also provide different amplitudes.
The output powers of the individual amplifiers, that is, the power signals, must often be combined to form a total power, for example, by combiners, or directly to a load, for example, a plasma electrode or a gas-laser electrode. In order to combine the output powers, fixed phase relationships of the output powers are often necessary. Furthermore, the output powers of the amplifiers should be matched with one another with regard to their amplitudes.
However, abrupt changes in the required power can occur in a power-supply system, for example, if an arc occurs in the plasma chamber, and the power supplied must be reduced in a correspondingly abrupt manner. It is also problematic and difficult with such systems to adjust the power and especially the level of ionization in the load.